Get Lean & Toned With These 25 Eating Tips!

If you want to succeed with fat loss and weight management, get a healthy, managed eating plan that you comply with on most days.....simple right?  Easier said than done!

Here are 25 common eating tips that successful fat-burners do consistently:

1. Make the commitment to change your bad eating habits no matter what it takes...this commitment will help you overcome the stumbles and setbacks along the way.

2. Start keeping a food journal as soon as possible. Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan and fat loss if you keep a food journal. By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. It will help you to plan your meals better and avoid binge eating and emotional eating. You won't need to keep a food journal once you have the eating part figured out.

3. Get an accountability partner such as a spouse, friend or personal trainer. You can challenge each other to make good food choices.

4. Add healthy foods to your menu that you like. You are more likely to stay with a menu loaded with foods you like. Replace the foods that are bad for you with healthy foods.

5. Set your daily calorie intake based on your basal metabolic rate, your activity level and your goals. This way, you won't eat too much or too little. Maintaining the right amount of calorie deficit on most days (burning more calories than you consume) is the key to burning fat and losing weight.

6. I don't recommend any diet that omits one of the macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat). Your body's metabolism needs all 3 macronutrients to work efficiently.

7. The various "body organ cleansers" out there on the market are not the key to your fat loss and weight loss.....regular exercise (weight training and interval cardio) and good nutrition are your tickets to a permanent lean and toned body. Remember that healthy foods such as fruits and veggies play a role in keeping your body clean (and alot less expensive).

8. Along the same lines, there are no magic pills, powders or creams that will give you a permanent lean and toned body.

9. Control calorie intake by eating more water-based foods (volume eating). The basics of it is to eat as many foods with high water content/low calories as you can. Foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables are examples. These types of foods help you to feel fuller (satiety) while eating fewer calories.

For instance, grapes with the same calorie amount as raisins will provide more satiety and theoretically help you eat less the rest of the day. Energy density of food is a key component when trying to add volume to your diet. Fibrous foods should also be high on your list of filling, healthy foods.

10. Get enough sleep. Researchers have found that the less sleep the test subjects got, the higher their body mass index. The shorter sleep time altered the subjects hormone levels, energy decreased and appetite increased. Sleep deprivation also negatively affects your workout performance. The general rule is 7-8 hours of sleep a night. Some may need more sleep or a little less. Don't sabotage your exercise program and weight loss efforts by not getting enough shut-eye.

11) No matter how fast your metabolism, a calorie surplus (consuming more calories than you burn) causes you to gain fat and weight.

A slow or sluggish metabolism is not the major cause of weight gain. Too many daily calorie surpluses is the major cause of weight gain.

Lifting weights (including bodyweight exercises) and cardio exercise will give you a higher metabolic rate. A combination of circuit weight training and high intensity interval cardio will get your metabolism "revved up."

Eating smaller, frequent meals about every 3-4 hours will keep your metabolism "revved up" during the day. Your metabolism will slow down if there are too many hours between meals.

12. You need fats in your diet for your body to function properly. Fats are also filling. Get about 20% of total daily calories from fats. Eat little or no trans fats. Eating too many (and too often) trans fats will land you in the doctor's office with heart and cholesterol problems!

Focus mainly on eating heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower total cholesterol. Good sources of MUFAs are nuts (especially raw), nut butters, olives, olive oil, avocados, safflower oil, peanut oil and canola oil.

Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) are also good for you---especially the omega-3 fats found in cold-water fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, trout and white tuna. Flaxseed and walnuts are also good sources of omega-3 fats. Eat more omega-3 fats and less omega 6 fats.

Too much omega 6 fat intake can lead to inflammation that causes arthritis, cancer and heart disease. Sources of omega-6 fats are soybean oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, corn oil, sesame oil and cottonseed oil. Conjugated linoleic acid(CLA) fats found in red meat and dairy are also good for you provided they come from grass-fed cattle. Another option would be to supplement your diet with fish oil.

Limit eating saturated fats. Some sources of saturated fats are healthy, such as from coconut oil. Moderation is the key to eating saturated fats.

Count the calories with fatty foods just like any other food. For example, nuts are good for you but they are loaded with calories. A handful of raw almonds will do the trick for you.

13. Eat breakfast. A good healthy breakfast gets your metabolism kicked off for the day. And, continue to eat small meals every 3-4 hours to keep up your energy and to keep your metabolism humming along.

Eat one serving of food each meal. Don't ever super-size a meal. Go easy on the condiments. Sauces, dips, ketchup, mayo and toppings are loaded with calories.

14. Plan and pack your meals for the day. This way, you are more likely to stay with your nutrition plan.

15. This rule always applies to any day---if its fried, let it slide!

16. Alcohol has calories too (7 calories per gram). When you take a drink of alcohol, your body converts a small amount of it into fat and the rest is converted (by the liver) into a substance called acetate.

This acetate is then quickly released into the bloodstream and used as the body's main source of energy. So, your body is using the acetate as energy instead of the stored fat in your body. The more you drink, the more fat your body will store!

Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that fat metabolism can be reduced by as much as 73% after only two drinks of vodka and lemonade in a one hour time period. You can see how excess alcohol consumption can contribute to the dreaded "beer belly." So, this is just one more reason to drink alcohol in moderation.

17. Carbs are not your enemy! They are your body's preferred source of energy, especially during intense exercise. Eating fast digesting carbs immediately before or after your workout will not spike your blood sugar levels.

18. Eat protein with every meal. Protein helps you feel fuller for a longer period of time, helps to keep carbs from spiking insulin levels and repairs your muscles after a tough workout.

19. Don't skip your post-workout meal. It is important to help your body recover from intense exercise (especially weight training). You don't have to eat immediately after your workout. There is a 30-45 minute "window of opportunity" where replenishing your body's fuel (carbs, protein, fats) will optimize your tissue's repair and growth. If you miss this "window of opportunity" it is gone forever. A protein/carb shake will work well.

20. Drink water and unsweetened drinks (like tea) most of the time. It will help you eat less and help your body function better.

21. Forget the quick weight loss gimmicks (they lead to yo-yo weight loss and even more weight gain)! There are no quick solutions to permanent fat loss and weight loss.

22. Eat foods with one ingredient as much as possible. Whole, natural foods have one ingredient---like fruits, veggies, fish and nuts.

23. Try not to eat foods stored in a box or bag. These foods are usually loaded with trans fats and saturated fats.

24. Don't assume that LOW-FAT means LOW-CAL---Read the Label.

25. Stick to your meal plan at least 90% of the time and you should be just fine (provided you are sticking to your exercise plan).

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